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The Infantry in the British Army is organised into four broad categories — Armoured, Mechanised, Light, and Para/Assault. Armoured Infantry is primarily equipped with tracked Armoured Personnel Carriers (WARRIOR), Mechanised Infantry is equipped with a combination of wheeled (some heavy such as MASTIFF and some lighter such as FOXHOUND) specialised vehicles, the Light Infantry is primarily equipped with wheeled vehicles (man Truck and Landrovers), and Para/Assault Battalions are equipped with RWMIK and JACKAL.

Until recently, Army Units rotated and changed their locations at set intervals; however, Army policy now is to locate Units in permanent bases. In addition to minor and ancillary units, Bulford Parish, within the next few years, will accommodate three Major Units (Battalions), namely 5 RIFLES, 1 MERCIAN (already in post), and the Prince of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR): all three are Armoured Infantry Battalions, equipped with WARRIOR (plus some lesser tracked vehicles called BULLDOG and CVRT).

Requirement

Since in the ordinary course of events, these tracked vehicles have to travel on public roads from time to time, Units have to train and qualify both drivers and vehicle commanders on a scale of one and a half personnel in each category per vehicle (the extra half being to allow for casualty and wastage). The qualification standards are exacting and have to be met on public roads.

Achievement

To achieve this requirement, the routes on public roads that may be used for this training and qualification are determined and published in Garrison Orders; whilst training with 'L' plates, these vehicles may not deviate from the published routes, although once qualified, they may travel on any ordinary public Highway (other than the few that, for a variety of reasons, may be specifically prohibited).There are two training routes now established in Bulford Parish; however these two routes are identical. As may be seen from the attached map (training and test routes shown by red arrows); the Army has kept these as far away as is possible from those parts of the Parish that contain civilian residential dwellings.
It may be noted that Armoured Regiments (which can be found in Tidworth), equipped with the Main Battle Tank (CHALLENGER), do not travel on public roads (except on tank transporters) and, therefore, do not have this requirement.